International Medical Corps UK

Gaza

breadcrumb navigation:

Middle East

/

Gaza

The challenges and our reponse

International Medical Corps is currently working in the second year of a five-year humanitarian assistance project in Gaza, leading a consortium partnership with three other organisations, CARE, Mercy Corps, and the Palestinian group, Juzoor for Health and Social Development—each bringing specific expertise to the project.

The project, entitled Gaza 2020: Health Matters, intends to strengthen emergency preparedness and response capabilities of local non-governmental (NGO) organisations and community-based organisations (CBOs), as well as to improve access and availability of quality primary and secondary health care for all residents of Gaza. Under primary health, International Medical Corps supports NGOs and CBOs in the mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), community-based rehabilitation, non-communicable diseases and nutrition sectors. Gaza’s population of 1.8 million reside in a politically tense 25-mile long, 6-mile wide strip of land that has passed from Egyptian to Israeli to Palestinian administrative control within 60 years. Israeli authorities continue to maintain tight control of Gaza’s borders as the long-running Israeli-Palestinian dispute exacerbates development efforts. International Medical Corps has worked in Gaza since 2008, providing emergency medical, mental health and psychosocial assistance.

International Medical Corps continues to monitor the ongoing security situation and resulting changes to this environment. We received our second year of funding during the first half of 2017 and are currently supporting the project’s six primary health care grantees, with three secondary health care grantees to soon follow. The primary health care partners are implementing programs in the areas of Nutrition, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Non-Communicable Diseases, and Community-based Rehabilitation. All project activities are conducted within an International Medical Corps-led consortium partnership that includes, CARE, Mercy Corps, and Juzoor. Together the group works to provide technical and other support, including training, and procurement and logistics to the project’s primary and secondary health care sub-partners. Our current work includes:

Emergency Preparedness and Response: To address the project’s Emergency Preparedness and Response component, we are coordinating with key emergency response groups in Gaza such as the World Health Organisation as well as other NGOs and project-supported partners to ensure preparedness for a coordinated emergency response. International Medical Corps has worked to develop health messaging for distribution in the event of an emergency. Additionally, we have developed a contingency plan delineating our level of support to consortium and primary health care partners.

Logistics: Completing the first round of distributing customised Emergency Health Kits (EHKs) to local partners, ensuring they have pre-positioned medical supplies ready to use in the event of an emergency. We also address project-related gaps in the local health system, both in emergency and non-emergency conditions. Such gaps include, safe childbirth during emergencies, improving infection prevention and control, strengthening mobile medical teams, improving post-operative care and developing a thematic concept for breast cancer.

Training: Providing and coordinating trainings as the lead partner on the Gaza 2020: Health Matters, project. We and our consortium partners provide training to local primary health care groups with whom we maintain memorandums of understanding. The goal or our work is to strengthen local partners in different technical and program management areas, including logistics and warehouse management.

Explore Gaza

Our impact and work

Filter content by

Family & Community Health

Health Services Support

HIV & Aids

Mental Health

Mothers & Children’s Health

Nutrition & Food Security

Preparedness

Primary Healthcare

Refugee Response

Secondary Healthcare

Surgery

Training

Vaccinations & Disease

Violence Against Women

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

Gaza-Israel conflict

Gaza-Israel conflict

A family in recovery

The 50-day war in Gaza during 2014 destroyed 20,000 homes and forever changed the lives of many. Those who lived near the border with Israel were evacuated to shelters and International Medical Corps provided support.